Elosomentrari
by conformist to non-conformity
Summary: Matthew is a magic-phobic Spymaster who has become the unwilling warder of four sorceresses. For the first time Matthew must confront his tortured past. Dark Fic! Beware! Noncon, slash, torture, etc.
1. Bonded

**Author's note: **

**I'm really new at writing so I encourage you to tell me if I suck! It might be a little confusing at first since you are the first people besides me to have EVER seen this. That means I NEED reviews!!! Tell me what needs to be fixed! I'm also looking for a beta if anyone's interested.**

**K. About the actual story. Like I said, it might seem confusing at first but I'll try to explain in later chapters… And the fun dark stuff will be coming up- you'll just have to have patience. **

**THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU**

**MATTHEW**

**Matthew stretched out on his pallet, staring at the ceiling. He was exhausted but couldn't manage sleep. The forest was freezing compared to Shanthavan even if it was late spring! Matt was convinced that he could see his breath in the early morning air. But the cold wasn't really what kept him awake- no matter how many times he tried to convince himself. Nina Mirwood, Thorn Avera, Anna Cooper, and Nadia- Nadine Namid bothered him. They were all were Migas. They were all intelligent. And they all meant trouble for him. He was their warder and at their mercy once they found out. **

"**Matthew," a small voice called from behind the door. **

**Speak of the devil. He rolled his eyes. That would be Nadia- Nadine. It had taken close enough to a miracle to get her to leave him alone once in a while after she had realized he really was her 'Little Arram'. It truly was remarkable how much she had changed… But she sounded… different than usual… frightened? No… never Nadia. Matthew opened the door slowly. **

"**What's going on Nadine?" **

**He looked closely at her, noting every detail about her. Her face was white and her inky black hair underscored the paleness so that she looked like a ghost. Her shoulders were slightly hunched as if she was trying to make herself smaller. Her breathing was irregular, and when she finally looked at Matthew, her slanted obsidian eyes were as wide as they could go. **

"**What's wrong? You look… upset." He had most assuredly become a master at understatement. **

"**Matt? Can I talk to you?" **

"**I can hardly stop you." He smiled as sweetly as he could and let her into his room. **

**His room was small, probably a servant's quarters before the house was abandoned. It was simply furnished, just a pallet on the floor, a desk and stool, and a few pegs on the wall meant for cloaks and hats. The simplicity suited him. It wasn't long ago that he would have thought he was rich if he had just owned a coat. Nadine sat down on the stool. **

"**Sit down Matt." **

**He scowled. Maybe he **_**should**_** consider getting a better room to remind her that he wasn't her slave anymore. But he couldn't do anything about it now so he let it lie and wiped the scowl of his face. He sat down gracefully on his pallet and leaned against the wall, waiting for her to speak. **

"**Arram." Nadine took a deep breath to calm herself and shook her head. "Matthew, I think someone's watching us. You know we have several enemies in Deashithain. I need to know who they are. Will you tell me what you know about them?" **

**Not, 'do you know something', but 'tell me what you know'. That was interesting. He wasn't sure if he should tell her or not. If he told her, the others would know all that she did within ten minutes and Anna was very likely going to make his life as miserable as possible. He didn't know what she had against him but just the sight of him made her eyes flash dangerously. Then again, keeping any secret, a secret around Anna was… difficult. Not to mention how angry Anna would be that he had managed to keep his secrets for so long. He thought it would be easier to just tell her and be done with it. **

**She was the most determined woman he'd ever met… Even more so than Genna perhaps. Anna had certainly kept him on his toes the last few days. Matt felt a small smile tug at the corners of his mouth. He had a fluttery feeling in his stomach, as if he were excited or nervous… He didn't know what it was… maybe he was getting sick like a human. But that wasn't what was important right now. He could be sick later. **

"**I know something about what you're feeling," he said casually. A frown creased her forehead. Maybe he had said it just a bit too casually? **

**After a small silence she said, "Tell me!" **

**Matthew closed his eyes and tried to think of the easiest way to tell her. He leaned against the wall and pulled his legs up so that he could rest his chin on his knees. Nadine, sensing something was going on inside Matthew's head, sat silent, though the heavy weight of expectancy radiating from her nearly crushed him. He sighed. If he didn't tell her what she wanted to know and quickly Matthew had a feeling that she would burst. Women had no patience when it came to gathering some odd bit of information. How to begin?**

**Without opening his eyes he asked, "You know the tales that all the old folk tell the children?" **

**Nadine nodded and then said yes after seeing his eyes still closed. Everyone knew the tales the old folk always nagged the younger generation with, though Nadi- Nadine had probably heard the stories in the city market instead of from her grandparents. Matthew opened his eyes just in time to see her roll her eyes. **

"**Not the little parables," he said. **

"**You mean the stories about trolls and giants and Warders and all that?" **

**This time the topic didn't seem to offend her. Matthew closed his eyes and nodded, a small smile started to creep onto his face again. **

"**You like those stories?" **

"**Of course, everyone does," Nadine said slowly. **

"**What about the stories with Warders, specifically?" **

"**They're my favorite, but where is this leading. Am I supposed to realize something soon? You're making me feel very stupid." Matthew laughed. **

"**What do you think is strange? Describe it to me." **

"**I can't describe it very well. It feels like there's something lurking around the corner and I expect to see them whenever I turn around... but their never there. You know how you can sense a person if they stand behind you? Well that's what it feels like."**

**Matthew nodded slowly to himself. Most likely the Warder's bond. The Thieves wouldn't have made her feel that claustrophobic. He closed his eyes again. **

"**Tell me, Nadine, how did the old folk describe a Warder's bond to you?" **

"**Well, they said that a Warder's bond enabled both the Shadobs and the Warder to know where each other were (or at least in which direction they were) and some bonds even allowed the Warders and Shadobs to know what each other were feeling, sometimes even thinking! But they-" **

**Nadine cut off abruptly. He opened his eyes and watched her carefully. Her eyes slowly widened, and her jaw dropped. Matthew's smile widened. He shut his eyes and folded his hands over his chest leaning against the wall. **

"**Amazing isn't it?" **

"**How long have you known?" **

"**A few months." **

"**Why didn't you tell us before!? You should have told us as soon as you found out!" Matthew opened his eyes, sat up straight and glared at her. His amused self-depreciating smile gone. **

"**Do you think I wanted to go back to bowing and scraping for idiots who thought that I was no better than a savage stupid animal? I wanted to be free, Nadia, and no matter what the old stories say, a Warder is nothing but a privileged slave!" **

**Tears leaked from the corners of Nadine's eyes. Matthew sagged. He felt tired and angry and… scared. He didn't know if telling her had been a good idea, now. He didn't even know if Anna wasn't just going to give him to the Leoparde and leave him to rot. **

"**Look, Prin- Nadine, I'm sorry. All right? I am. But I never- never wanted to be a slave again, even- especially for my friends." He hesitated, then asked slowly, "you understand… Don't you Mana?" Nadine looked down. After a few minutes she looked up again, staring Matt straight in the eye. **

"**I'm sorry, too. When I realized that you were finally free I was so happy for you even though I still believed in slavery. It was not my intention to throw you back into a cage. I am so sorry Arram. I'm so very sorry."**

**GENNA**

"**Genna!" Genna hurriedly opened her bedroom door. **

"**What's wrong Nadine," Genna asked worriedly. "Did Matthew hurt you?" Nadine had said that she wanted to talk to Matthew about something and Genna still wasn't sure if they should trust him just yet. He was always so secretive. The mysterious air around him drew the girls like moths to a flame. (It did the same to Genna come to that. She had to hide any attraction, though. Migas were supposed to be graceful and aloof. She wasn't sure if she was succeeding though.) **

**She was afraid that he would lure the girls away from their studies so soon after they had been granted permission to see the true world. Genna would not have her charges scattered! She had looked after them from the first time she saw them and she never gave up easily! No silly man was going to take her only family from her! **

"**No! Of course not! Matt would never hurt any of us!" **

"**What's wrong than Nadine? Lose a boyfriend," Thorn asked waspishly, closing her door behind her. Thorn had had a crush on Matt since she first laid eyes on him and didn't like it that Nadine monopolized so much of his attention. **

"**Leave her alone Thorn. You should know that Matt is too... wary to court someone that can twirl him around in the air with barely a thought," Nina said, glancing at Thorn sideways and smiled slightly. **

"**Remember, Matthew doesn't like magic. The only reason that he's here is because the Leoparde herself ordered us to bring a guard that could fight and he was the very best. He only tolerates us because of the money." Thorn blushed angrily. **

"**Come on. Let's go to my room," Genna said. Nadine was very pale and even trembled now and then. She needed quiet and it wouldn't be found in the hall.**

**Once the girls were all comfortable and Nadine had a hot mug of tea in her hands. Genna sat down. **

"**Nadine, why don't you tell us what all that fuss was about?" Nadine tugged on her ear the way she did when she was nervous. **

"**Umm. Have any of you felt strange lately?" **

"**An odd question, but now that you bring it up... I do feel a bit odd. It feels like someone's watching me." Genna raised an eyebrow. **

"**Yes, I have… but I've never managed to put my finger on exactly what seemed out of place. What about you Nina?" Nina nodded, and frowned. **

"**Why do you ask Nadine," she inquired slowly. Something big was coming. **

"**Genna…" **

"**Yes?" Genna was practically beside her self with anticipation. It was almost impossible to maintain her composure. Nadine looked around at each of her friends. Her eyes finally rested on the door handle. After a long moment, she sighed.**

"**Matt's our warder." **


	2. Introductions

Genna led the way down the halls of the deserted palace to Matthew's room. She didn't know how she hadn't guessed that he was their warder. It seemed obvious now that someone had mentioned it. Actually, come to think of it, how would Matthew know that he was a warder if he feared magic so much? Men always ignored that which they didn't understand or feared as much as Matthew did magic. 

"Genna do we have to do this? Why can't we just talk about it tomorrow? It will give us some time to think all this through and Matthew will let down his guard thinking that I haven't told you." Genna looked at Nadine. 

"Nadine, we will not loose any advantages over him by talking to him today. He knew that you would tell us and therefore forfeited any time to run around loose. I don't want him to run away thinking that he can escape." They walked in silence the rest of the way until they came to his door and stopped. 

When Genna glanced at her, she saw a small trail of tears on her face. 

"Don't worry Nadine. We won't hurt Matthew," Thorn said. If she was trying to sound reassuring, she sorely missed her mark. Thorn had tried her hand at romance, practicing on Matthew. She had always made a joke about it when confronted about the subject but Genna didn't think Thorn had given up. She hoped Thorn wouldn't cause trouble. Then again, why should Genna even bother to wish? It was an impossible hope. Genna looked sideways at Thorn. 

The girl was smiling triumphantly and was standing as straight as she could with her chest puffed out. Genna would have to make sure she never left Matthew alone with her... Matthew shouldn't be getting in any relationships without her permission- _And I suppose he shouldn't be forced into any relationships… especially with a girl half his age._

"Genna?" Genna raised her eyebrows in question. 

"Matt isn't going to trust me again. We won't be friends anymore." 

Genna's gaze remained hard. It was a shame to destroy such good friendship, and as Nadine pointed out; Matthew wasn't going to trust her again. What a pity. Having someone to act as a lever would have made everything much easier. 

"What must be done should be done without delay." She threw open Matthew's door. 

Matthew, who had been sitting on his stool making notes in a small pocket notebook, leapt up with daggers almost magically appearing in his hands and let the notebook drop to the floor. Genna was wide-eyed at the speed in which he moved... he was sitting down writing one minute and the next he was standing up prepared for battle. He would be a wonderful warder. When he realized that it was just them, he slipped his daggers back up his shirtsleeves. No one could have said that he 'relaxed'.

"Matthew. Nadine has brought an important fact to our attention," Genna said in a firm voice. In her experience that was the only thing that the male race responded to. Of course, Wrath didn't respond to anything at all unless you managed to piss him off… which only happened often around Genna… She could get under his skin with just a single sentence. On one occasion she had set him off with just a look. Genna grinned slightly- then her smile faded… It was unlikely she'd ever see him again. 

Genna glided in and set herself down on the stool Matthew had just vacated. Thorn looked at Matthew for a while, breathing heavily, and then dramatically flounced across the room, with Nina and Nadine in tow behind her, to sink gracefully into one of two chairs. Nina stood. 

Matthew's face grew grim and more cautious as he glanced from one face to the next. Than he shook his head and walked over to the door, closed it, and leaned against the wall so he could see them all at once.

"Matt," Nadine whispered. Matthew glanced at her and then noticed the notebook he had dropped. He stalked over to pick it up, but Genna bent down and scooped it up before Matthew had gone two steps. 

"Stay where you are Matthew." He grimaced but could do nothing but obey the command. Genna knew how to manipulate the Warder's bond just enough to force Matthew to obey simple commands. Genna looked at the tiny book. (It was a book. It was small, almost pocket size, but thick.) It appeared to be a very old leather-bound notebook and when she opened it to the page with a bookmark; she found a neat and detailed account of his recent talk with Nadine in one of the codes Wrath had taught her. Perhaps it was standard? On the sides there were little side notes in plain writing commenting about what herbs would make the best potatoe soup. The corner of Genna's lip quirked up.

"I'm impressed Matthew. Not many men keep a diary. Perhaps you are a spy?" Genna tried to see what went on behind his expressionless face but couldn't find any hint at all. She didn't think that he was a spy but the accusation might loosen his tongue. No sane man would want to be thought a spy by a Miga. As far as she could see, her accusing glare had no affect on him whatsoever. 

She slipped the notebook into the pocket of her trousers. (She did not see the use of wearing a big fancy dress in a forest where it was impossible to walk three steps without tripping five times. The dress would be rags within an hour. Wrath had taught her that, among friends, it wasn't fashion that mattered, but practicality.) Genna had a feeling that she would want to read that later anyway. 

"You can't-!" Genna glared at him until he looked away from her face sullenly. 

"I am not a spy." Matthew flinched. "That is, I'm not working for anyone but myself," he said hurriedly and then choked. "I mean, I'm not spying on you for anyone but myself." Genna smiled grimly. Matt's eyes were very wide and his face was pale... she had never seen him this scared. It was interesting, however. Perhaps being a Warder prevented him from lying to them? And who did he spy on… besides them, of course. And who did he work for? 

"Matt?" He glanced up at Nadine again and then lowered his gaze to the floor. 

"Matthew, look at her." Matthew obeyed but didn't quite meet Nadine's eyes. Genna hated how he had lowered his gaze. Matthew had always been independent and strong no matter what happened and now… He went from proud lone wolf to lonely beaten cur. 

"You knew that when you let me know I would tell the others." It wasn't a question but Matthew nodded anyway and then returned to his intense scrutiny of the floor with hunched shoulders. 

"Matthew, look at me!" Nadine seemed on the verge of tears. 

Genna lost her patience and, using Magic, lifted his chin and turned his head so he was forced to look at Nadine. She forced him to stand straight and then made it so he couldn't move at all. It would not hurt anyone and the man was irritating her to a dangerous extent... besides- it made her feel better to be able to force him to stand still. Matthew's fingers twitched and his face paled further until it was almost white- even with his golden skin. 

"Stop doing that Matthew. You won't be able to move until I release you. You'll only end up hurting yourself if you try it." Matthew flinched and glared at her. Then he realized that he was glaring at his Shadob. 

He glanced around the room without looking at anyone, trying to find something to distract him from the Magic. 

"Why won't you look at her?" Matthew considered his answer returning his gaze, once again, to the floor; it should have been harder to do, with his chin tilted up at that angle. 

"I… I was a slave for… for many years… I thought that the rules of a Warder wouldn't be much different." There was a long silence. 

"I'm sorry. I didn't-" 

"Why should you be sorry Thorn? You didn't do anything." Matthew laughed bitterly. 

"I'm sorry we made you remember," Thorn said in a small voice. 

"Where were you a slave, how old were you when you were first sold, and where were you sold? Who was your owner? How did you become free? Or are you still a slave? You lied to us. No. I guess you couldn't lie. You implied that you had lived in the desert until you were twenty. Everyone knows they don't keep slaves and you can't be more than my age." She loathed asking those crude, cutting inquiries, but she had spent too long building up her mask for him to have it ruined now. 

"My most sincere appologies if I offended you Shadob Anna."

"Why do you call her Anna, Matthew? Her name's Genna." 

Matthew's eyes widened. His eyes flicked from Nadine to Genna and back again. He bit his lip as he studied her face intently. 

"Did you say Genna? Genna Cooper?" Genna glared at Nadine. The stupid girl was smirking! She didn't know why she wanted her real name kept secret against him, but she did. And now the stupid woman had ruined it. How had he known her last name though? She was certain that she wasn't that well known outside of Deashithain. 

"That was my business Nadine. I've told you that if you heard something strange just go along with it! Now Matthew, why don't you tell me why the name Genna is so significant to you." 

She tweaked her magic so that he was forced to look at her. Matthew's head jerked a bit, but Genna's spells still held him immobile. He said nothing. His eyes had turned inward, as if he was thinking about something very hard. Genna studied him more closely. 

Matthew's amazingly bright green almond shaped eyes were slightly narrowed and his face was pale (though, not as pale as before) even through a deep desert tan that made his skin seem to glow golden. His soft chestnut colored hair that he usually wore in a loose ponytail, today cascaded down to brush the very top of his shoulders, framing his face. She had to check herself to keep from running fingers through it. She wondered what it felt like. 

He was clean-cut, no beard to speak of but he certainly did not look boyish. He seemed so familiar but she couldn't place him. Maybe a relative of someone she had known, except - If his hair wasn't quite as long and just a bit thinner, not quite so muscular; if he had been wearing ragged clothes and if he did not use an arrogant mask to cover his emotions he could have been- Her jaw dropped. 

THANKYOU-FOR-READING

Author's note: Sorry about the lame ending to the chapter. I had twelve pages for this chapter so I needed to cut it down a little. 

Once again, I'd love to get a review giving me suggestions on what to fix! Help me out!


	3. Interrogations

Author's Note: Ok. This is a REALLY long chapter! Sorry, but theres really not any good place to break it up. WARNING: This chapter gets a little fluffy. Proceed with caution!

"Wrath!" Genna flung herself at him. "I missed you so much! Why didn't you tell me that it was you! I've been trying to find you forever! Why didn't you stay at Deashithain with me? Why didn't you come back to visit once in a while? I missed you!" She hugged him so hard that his breath came out more ragged than his clothes had once been.

"Genn?"

"Yeah," her voice came out muffled since her face was buried into his chest.

"Can't. Breathe."

"Oh sorry!" Genna let go of him and stood back to look at him again.

Now that she knew who he was, she felt perfectly entitled to look at him in any way she wanted. She had always had a crush on Wrath but as soon as they stepped into the limits of Deashithain, he had disappeared. To think that he was her warder! She had always hoped… Hmmm. He was her warder.

Genna's eyes got a mischievous light in them. Matthew's face grew hot and he glanced at the walls and the other girls, anywhere so he wouldn't have to meet Genna's hot gaze.

Genna laughed deep from her chest. She had seldom seen him blush and the sight amused her to no end. She felt the others staring at her and finally turned around. She stared at them indignantly.

"What?" The girls just shook their heads.

"Matt? Your name's Wrath?" Wrath's fingers twitched again.

"Genna, he's still tied up. He can't move."

"I forgot about that!" She didn't do anything about it. Genna's smile must have scared Wrath. He moaned. And a delightful moan it was too! Thorn laughed.

"And here I always thought you were immune to men! It's good that you finally found someone you could make calf eyes at. Just don't ravage him on the spot!" Genna didn't even blush. Her smirk grew wider though. Wrath's eyes darted between the girls. Every time he saw Genna his face got hotter and redder until his face looked like it was about to explode.

Nadine finally took pity of him after a few more seconds and cut Genna's magic.

"I was worried that you'd pop a blood vessel if you were left like that too long."

Wrath looked much less stiff than before. He sneered at her. Then grinned sheepishly and said, "Thanks."

"Don't mention it." Thorn threw Nadine a nasty look.

"So what's your real name?"

"Why do you want to know? It's just a name and nobody calls me by it. It would be useless."

"So why are you making such a big fuss about it?" Wrath blushed… again! That's twice within as many minutes!

"His real name's Arram but he never goes by it. I don't think I ever heard anyone call him by that name. It was always Wrath, just as his name; Andiye to mock him,-" Nadine frowned and looked at Wrath quizzically. Wrath avoided her eyes. "Or when they wanted to be formal, Wrath of the Wolves... although, once or twice I have heard him called That-Damned-Little-Wannabe-Loki, when he's irritated someone with one of his pranks."

Wrath smiled angelically and sighed wistfully… probably remembering his more memorable pranks. Genna rolled her eyes at him.

"Why do you know so much about him?" Thorn's glare could have curdled milk.

"He's the person who found me and realized that I had the potential to be a Migas and brought me to Deashithain. We journeyed with each other for about a year. We learned to trust each other after a while since he was a fugitive slave and I was a farm girl who didn't know the difference between a cutting knife and a sword." She grimaced.

"Well, I learned to trust him. I don't think he's ever fully trusted anyone who was not one of the Thieves. Even then, he was still a bit wary. He protected me from the Thieves and animals and I protected him from the people looking for him. Apparently, he was worth a lot because it took forever for me to convince them that he was mine and not a runaway. That's the story we used. He was my personal slave escorting me to Deashithain to meet my sister, Miga Guinevere, who was to be working as the City Gates Miga, you know, the Miga that 'helps' the guards with criminals. The thought that I had a Miga for a sister discouraged the slave patrollers from hanging around long enough for them to get his real owner to come get him."

"But you always said that you went alone."

"Wrath didn't want me to tell anyone about him.

"Why were you worth so much anyway, Wrath- I mean, Matt. You seemed normal enough to me. You're a lot stronger than you look and you have other… special qualities about you." She gave him the up-down. Wrath's face paled and he looked away angrily. Genna frowned. Normally he didn't take a joke so seriously. "But other than that, you're perfectly normal. So why were you worth so much?"

"I was a kid from the Sesundan Desert. Apparently my people have a reputation for being exceptionally strong and durable." He grimaced.

"Oh… There's something you're not telling me. Just being a Desert Dweller, albeit, an extremely handsome one wouldn't explain them chasing after you all the way to Deashithain. They went into free countries looking for you!"

"There were a few other small factors." Genna put her hands on her hips.

"Explain." Matthew glanced around the room.

"You still have my notebook, Genn."

"That's not what I asked! Answer my question!" Wrath sighed.

"Does it really matter that much?"

"Yes! Tell me now!" He shrugged.

"I suppose it was because I'm a… well an illusionist."

He was looking at the ground again.

"You're a Mage," Genna said flatly. Wrath looked up, startled.

"No! I am an illusionist. I can see things other people can't, like some magics, poisons, and hidden panels. That kind of stuff. I can hide things and create complex illusions- but it takes a lot out of me… Last time I permanently hid something it took me a week to recover. But I'm not a mage. They tested me over and over again but I'm not." The girls exchanged glances.

"You're telling me, that you have never, never used magic." He shrugged wearily.

"I've never been able to use magic. I can make myself seem to be a mage. Illusion things flying in the air and all that kind of stuff… but that's about as much as I can do."

"Oh… You said a few other factors. What are the others?"

"None of your business." Genna tapped her foot and raised her eyebrow. Her expression clearly stated that evasion and refusal to speak would be met with a pissed off Genna.

"Talk Wrath." Wrath glared at her determinedly.

"It is none of your business."

"Just tell her Arram!" Wrath glared at Thorn.

"I would appreciate it if you would use one of my other names."

"Arram is the name you were born with?" Wrath nodded stiffly. "Well then, Arram is what I will call you. If you have a problem with that, I do not know what to tell you. Now tell Genna what she wants to know Arram."

Wrath clenched his teeth. "I was a fighter and an illusionist, I could see poisons and magic so I made a good guard; I was from the desert; I was strong; I could withstand tons of damage. Migas used to stop by at the manor all the time. The Migas used to love interrogating me about the desert and my family and how we survived. They used to use magic on me to see if I was any different than a normal man. I was as exotic as you could get and still have a humanoid." Wrath opened his eyes and glared at them all as if to dare them to question him.

Genna sat on the stool with a small thump. It was horrible to think that the Migas had used Wrath like… as if he was a human pincushion or a lab rat. How could they treat him like that? Dare she ask him exactly what they did to him in their interrogation? No. She wasn't brave enough. Genna glanced at the other girls.

All of their faces were twisted as if they had suddenly smelled something rotten. Nadine was the only one besides Genna who seemed to be genuinely horrified and shocked at the thought that a Miga had hurt Wrath though. The other two just seemed to be disgusted. So this was what Wrath saw every day… A world where no one cared about him unless he could further someone's goals. Where people did not protect him or comfort him but simply showed disgust for him and what had happened to him- as if it was his fault. Genna closed her eyes slowly. How- no, why- did Wrath put up with this?

"So… So what's in this book Wra- Matt? And when did you learn how to read and write? Before you always asked me to read everything to you. Not that I minded. And I don't care what you say; I'm calling you Wrath from now on. Wrath fits you."

She took Wrath's pocketbook out of her pants. Genna remembered him leaning over her shoulder, looking at a book in her hands while she was reading to him, a frown of concentration creasing his forehead. He had always asked her to teach him how to read but she, much to her shame at times, put it off. Apparently, the Thieves had been more interested in teaching him stealth and codes. She liked him depending on her for something as important as reading maps and the like. If he depended on her, it was a guarantee that he wouldn't leave her in the forest. She liked knowing something he didn't. He was handsome, kind, and intelligent from the start; he had taken care of her and saved her life more times than she wished to remember. And the more she had come to know him the more she had come to… care for him.

He looked at her and smiled as sweetly as he could. It looked like his teeth ached from the effort.

"I learned to read in Shanthavan when you wouldn't teach me." Genna chose not to comment about her reasons for not teaching him to read.

"I've never heard of Shanthavan. What is it?"

"I'm not surprised. Not many people have." Genna waited and when he didn't elaborate she rolled her eyes.

"And? What is it?" She gently prodded his mind with her magic, subtly encouraging him to explain as much as he could. He frowned but answered slowly.

"It's a place for people who need help like slaves or people who got on the wrong side of a stupid law in another country. Shanthavan is also for anyone who can give help to ex-slaves." A bit of pride started to seep into his words as he continued. "It's also the largest source of useful inventions, rediscoveries, and libraries on the whole continent. The universities have some of the most brilliant minds teaching there. It has the most extensive intelligence network and has the largest army I have ever seen. It had the largest navy until Deashithain blew half of the boats off the face of the Earth." Wrath scowled.

Genna raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Ships, Wrath. We blew away half of their ships. And would that navy happen to be the one that was attacking the Port in the dead of night trying to capture the city?" Wrath growled. His voice deepened and slowed as he concentrated on keeping his words from slipping to his own language.

"In retaliation to the massacre in Deoshithain when a group of Migas murdered several dozen civilians, many of them childr-" "And that's not like you to run off looking for help."

Wrath scowled at her, knowing that he would have won if she hadn't saw fit to change the subject. "I lost a bet." Genna laughed. "You never lose a bet! You don't gamble. Why should I believe that?" She paused and tilted her head thoughtfully. It wasn't like he could lie to her anymore anyway.

"What else have you got to believe? And even if I wasn't telling the truth how important can that be? Ardus (he was a fellow fugitive)," Wrath bowed at that. "He bet me that the slave patrols would be in the town in an hour or less. He said that if I lost I would go with him to Shanthavan and keep him safe along the way. If he lost, he would give me some food and supplies and wouldn't tell the slave patrols. If I didn't take the bet he would tell the slave patrols. I took the bet and they were in the town in twenty-five minutes. Apparently, Ardus had heard a few soldiers laughing about them going across so many countries for such a long time looking for a single slave."

Wrath scowled again. "I told him that he had cheated but he said that I was going back on my word and that I was a liar and a cheat and on and on and on until I thought I would go mad!"

He was still scowling sullenly. "So what did the slave patrols do when they got in the town?" Genna had to cover her mouth to hide her smile.

"They spotted me and practically tore the entire town apart searching for where I had disappeared to." He smiled fondly at the memory. Genna's hidden smile grew wider. She knew how well Wrath could make a scrap of shadow make him vanish. He was a master at manipulating light and shadows for his own purposes- and any other element for that matter. She wondered if Shanthavan had made good use of that talent. Well… yes they had. He was their spy.

"I'll have to read the story out of your journal for all the details. For right now, why don't you tell me what you do for a living?" Now he looked worried.

"Genna, I'm not supposed to talk about that." He was so worried that a trace of his accent was coming through. Usually, he hid it so well that no one even thought about it.

"What's wrong with me knowing what you're doing for a living? Why are you so worried about it? We won't tell anyone if you don't want us to. I already know you're a spy. I just want to know if you do anything else." What was wrong with Wrath? He looked… well, with any other person she would have said terrified. But Wrath never got scared let alone terrified… Well, not this scared. He was always cool and calm for the most part. Genna looked at the other girls. Was it possible that one of them was somehow putting a pressure on him to show his emotions? Genna eyed Nadine. She seemed to be focusing on him without actually looking at him. She should stop her. But even so… What kind of spy work did he do to get him so worked up? Was he an assassin?

"Genna, please!" Genna put on her best Miga face. The kind of face that made huge tavern toughs quake.

"Matthew… You are my Warder, correct?" Wrath's shoulders slowly slumped and he looked down at the floor inclining his head- almost bowing.

"Yes Shadob Cooper, I am yours to command as you wish." Genna almost flinched. She hated when he pulled formalities on her. Then again, turn-about was fair play.

"Then answer my question. What do you do for a living?" Wrath seemed to find the floor very interesting today.

"Shadob Ge-"

"Wrath! Answer my question, now!" Genna viciously shot magic through the bond, forcing him to obey the command.

Wrath shivered from his head to his toes, almost as if some wind had gone through him, shaking him to his very bones. But he threw a defensive and indignant look on his face, covering his earlier uneasiness. If Genna had not seen the wariness before she would not have known it was a mask.

"I'm a lot of different things. I do what needs to be done that no one else can do safely. When Shanthavan goes to war, I become an advisor. When a spy is needed to go into a dangerous enemy's territory to collect information, I am sent for it. When nothing extraordinary is needed, I work on a few of my own projects. I'm also the Spymaster for North and South Shanthavan. I'm the keeper of one of Shanthavan's libraries too, many of which are the most extensive on the continent… Satisfied?"

_Spy__master_? She had a spymaster as a warder? "No, I am not." Genna's eyes were narrow with suspicion. "You go from terrified and anxious one minute and the next you are indignant and outraged and dismissive. You are hiding something from me. And who is the enemy of Shanthavan? As far as I know Shanthavan isn't even on the map… yet." Wrath opened his mouth, then closed it,.

"Wrath?" Wrath looked at her and arrogantly raised a questioning eyebrow. "Tell me what you were afraid of telling me."

"Shadob Ge-"

"Don't you Shadob Genna me! Tell me what you were afraid of telling me, Wrath. Now. Without arguing and stalling." Wrath closed his eyes and hunched his shoulders with his back to the wall closest to the door. His voice began to thicken with his accent.

"It wasn't just enemies I spied on. I spied on Deashithain too. Shanthavan supports your enemies, the Deoshithains and after they killed so many of our people, Shanthavan wanted war. I was ordered to get information about your weaknesses to them and give them maps of the interior of the Migas' quarter of the city along with any other information I stumbled across."

Genna felt her face grow red. Genna didn't think she had ever been angrier in her whole life. How could he have betrayed them? He had known that Genna lived there and considered it home. Why would he do that to her? To her friends? "Tell me when you told Deoshithain all this Andiye." Wrath flinched at the cold tone of her voice and the mocking title of his slave name.

"A little more than half a year ago but I only told them what they already knew and speculated about and I tried to leave hints for your leaders, telling them that I had to help Deoshithain a bit, but they didn't pay attention, and-" He spoke quickly and his accent mangled half the words beyond recognition.

"Be quiet Andiye." He fell silent immediately. "You will be lucky if I don't hand you back to your master to punish. I don't want to hear your asinine excuses."

"Genna?" Genna started. She had forgotten that Nina, Nadine, and Thorn were still here.

"What Nadine?"

"You can't blame him for helping his country's allies when he was ordered to. And you heard him. He did all that he could to help us."

"Nadine's got a point there, Genna. You can't get angry at him for telling you what you ordered him to tell you." Nina did know what she was talking about… usually.

"Genna? I know that treason is punished severely, but since, at that time, Arram didn't belong to our country you cannot say that he is guilty of any crime. Though I'm sure many of our generals will wish they could punish him," Thorn said, smiling wryly. Thorn protecting Wrath! Why was it that when they needed to be calm and collected they were about to burst and as soon as she herself got furious they were the ones that were calm and cool and making her feel ashamed?

"What do you propose we do, then? Our warder – Our own warder gave information to our enemies and will be the reason of our destruction if we fall!"

"Genna! Control yourself!" She blinked in surprise. No one had used that tone for her since she was a student. And Nadine was always quiet when she was around. Courageous… but quiet. Smart and tactful.

"I will not allow you to harm Litt- Matthew. He did what he felt he had to do and because he knew you and cared for you, he gave his country's ally minimal information and tried to help his country's enemy realize that he had told them the little he did tell them. If they were too thick to recognize a few of his clues than that's their fault. It changes our plans, yes, but he did only what he had to do. If you cannot handle it, Nina can escort you to your room until you can handle yourself properly in front of our warder." Nina nodded firmly. Genna felt her eyes pop.

Genna looked at each of the girls. Each one of them looked back at her with fierce determination. Nadine gestured subtly at Wrath and Genna glanced back at her wayward warder. Wrath was hunched in the corner of the room nearest to the door. He looked like as soon as given half a chance, he would run as fast and far as he could. She looked away.

It was hard to believe that she had installed such terror into Wrath of the Wolves, who tamed beasts, walked without flinching in full-blown battles, and studied with what sounded like the greatest minds his country could provide… but then, he never had liked magic… and now she knew why. Migas had hurt him with full permission from his owner. And they had not just hurt him once… they had hurt him over and over and over again. And now he was afraid that Genna would hurt him too.

Genna nodded her head trying to keep her lower lip from trembling. She didn't want Wrath to ever think that she would hurt him. She had to learn to keep better reign on her temper. If she did not than Wrath… It was already hard enough on him- being subjected to one of his worst fears daily without threats of torture from Genna.

"You are right. He did only what he had to do and tried to help us in every possible way. However, now that you are our Warder Wrath, if I ever, ever even hear a whisper of a rumor of a rumor that you practiced in treason against Deashithain without due cause and my permission I will give you over to the Lover's Day Festival Parade. Got it?"

Wrath looked at her with wide unbelieving eyes. "You're just going to drop it? That's it? You're not going to torture me or send me to Hell? You're not going to-?"

"Not today. Keep up the wide-eyed unbelieving act that makes you look oh so sweet and innocent and we'll see how far you get unmarked." He grinned although a bit warily. She wondered if he really was shocked that she wasn't going to hurt him. Once again, she wondered what had happened when he was a slave. Wrath was tough. He didn't crack under pain... What had they done to him to make his face crumple like that when he thought no one was paying attention?

"Well. This means that we'll have to go to Deashithain and report that we might have trouble with Deoshithain soon."

"What!" Wrath actually squeaked! Genna looked at Wrath with surprise.

"Did you honestly think that we could stay here the rest of our lives? We'll leave in two days so we can get everything packed and have more rest before our journey."

"Bu-But Genni." Wrath closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself. His accent disappeared again and his voice became low and soothing once more. He didn't have any accent at all now. It always… intimidated Genna a little to see how well he lied with his tone and expressions. Even his eyes never showed a lie anymore.

"Do you honestly think the Migas will take kindly to you bringing a Shanthvanian Spymaster with you to Deashithain?"

"Wrath, I will not let them hurt you. Besides, you're already mine. From what I've seen, you have to obey most of our orders and you obviously can't lie. At least not to us."

Wrath looked down with his ears turning red.

"That's not what's bothering you Wrath, is it?"

"No."

"What is it then? And don't make me drag it out of you this time. You know I'll eventually get all the information and won't be pleased when I finally get it."

"What if one of the Migas recognizes me?" When he looked up at Genna, she was astonished to see the conflicting emotions that chased through his normally cheerful eyes although his face was perfectly blank. Self-hatred, terror, fury, and other less recognizable emotions. What did they do to him? Genna frowned but stayed silent. Now was not the time to press him. He had had enough for one day. He would tell her in his own good time or she could find it in his notebook… or notebooks.

"We still have to go to Deashithain, Arram. I won't let anyone hurt you," Genna said gently. Wrath's mask began to break, a little at a time.

"Genni... the laws in Deashithain say that any fugitive slave, no matter how long he has been free must be returned to his or her owner if discovered. I can't…" Genna's eyes had gone wide. He was trembling. His hands shook so badly that if he had been holding anything he would have dropped it.

Nadine hugged him fiercely. He hugged her back and put his head on her shoulder, burying his face into her shoulder so he wouldn't have to look at anyone. She murmured softly in his ear, running her hands through his hair slowly. Her voice was low and calm. "You are mine Arram. You are mine and no one else's. If anyone even thinks of taking you away from me I will kill them myself." He laughed weakly as if he didn't believe it but the trembling slowed and after a while of her holding him and whispering quiet reassurances in his ear, that Genna couldn't hear, the trembling stopped. The two of them knew each other before this, but how? Genna was about to ask when Wrath opened his mouth again.

"Just se- Why can't you send a message?" Nadine smiled gently and stepped away from him, sitting on the stool since Genna was still standing up. Wrath backed up to a wall and let himself slide down it until he was sitting. He drew his knees up to his chin, tucking himself into a little impenetrable ball of flesh. Genna tried to suppress a sigh. Wrath wasn't thinking clearly. At any other time he would have realized that speaking to the Migas' Leoparde themselves would be the only way to convince her that Wrath was in their power and not running wild or that they had not been captured and the letters forged.

"Wrath, think about it. Which will the Leoparde believe? A message that can easily be forged? A message that would spread panic if the wrong hands received it? Or me in person?" Wrath shrugged uneasily. He seemed to be quickly regaining his confidence. Or maybe he was just regaining his self-control enough that he could keep his emotions hidden.

"I still say you could send a coded message or something. I can teach you several." Genna rolled her eyes.

"Wrath, we can't send a message. It won't work very well, trust me. We have to go to Deashithain in person. I want no more complaints or suggestions about the matter. We are going to Deashithain if we have to drag you every step of the way."

"Why can't I wait in the town while you four go into Deashithain?"

"Wrath!"

"Alright! I get the point. One question, though."

Genna wearily covered her eyes. "I'm afraid to ask what your 'one question' is."

"Why is it necessary that I go? I'm not complaining! I'm not suggesting you let me stay! It is just one question." Genna considered the inquiry but before she could answer it, Nadine piped up.

"The Leoparde won't believe that we can control you if she doesn't see an example."

"I meant, besides that." Genna chuckled. It was amazing how well he could hide his emotions, now… when he wasn't on the verge of a mental breakdown and when people weren't messing with his mind. If Wrath was like anything Genna remembered, he was furious that Nadine thought that he needed that part spelled out and irritated that she thought she could say the obvious and leave the more subtle out.

"Try again Nadine," Genna said. "And this time say all that you know, not just half." Nadine blushed.

"Well, the Leoparde will want to put a spell on you to see if you were telling the truth about spying and all that." Nadine closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"She will also want to look at your past to see if there is anything that needs a closer look. The Leoparde will also want to see if you can be ransomed or can smuggle Genna and the rest of us into Shanthavan to spy a bit or else just use your memory for all our information." Nadine turned to Genna. "Did I cover everything?"

"No. You forgot one thing." Nadine looked at Genna curiously. "The Council will want to see if they can bind you, Wrath. If they can, we will have our bonds cut and you will belong to a representative of the Council. They will probably pick someone nasty, someone who will have no qualms about hurting you to force you to do as they say. So please try to cooperate a little." He began to look like a ghost with how pale his face was.

"Oh… So remind me why you want to drag me into what amounts to Hell on Earth?"

"How many times are we going to have to go over this Arram?" Wrath glared at Thorn icily.

"Seeing as it's my freedom on the line, I think I should have a bit of a say in this." "Arram. The Leoparde has to be able to see you and know that you are under our- her control."

"Thanks for helping me Nina. Always a pleasure to have someone on your side. What I was going to suggest was that we go on neutral ground, have a few mages over with me so if she tries to take me they can take care of her and you won't be in trouble. Besides Genna, as soon as you started talking about going to Deashithain I contacted Shanthavan and let them listen in, so they have the gist of the story. Before, I told them that they should leave us alone unless there was an emergency… telling me that I had to go to Deashithain counted as my emergency."

He held up some kind of large black coin with small holes on the side and a small dark blue button in the middle. That little bastard had been in contact with them the whole time!

"They'll come whether you invite them or not. It's just that if you invite them formally for negotiations they won't be as… hostile. And do you honestly think that you'll be able to take me out of this forest without the Thieves' approval? They have their own Mages and Migas."

The four girls looked at each other. Then they looked at Wrath. Wrath's smug smile vanished to be replaced by his 'oh shit!' expression.

"Tell us when the mages will arrive here, Wrath." He answered immediately.

"Two days. Three at the most. Catriann already has her people posted around the house. The Shanthvanians will have to get Cat's permission to bring in any of their military." _Hmm. If we can convince Cat to leave us alone we can leave now and we might still be able to make it to Deashithain before them. _

"If we move will they be able to find us?"

"Yes."

"How long will it take them?"

"All they have to do is activate a spell that they already set on me and follow the trail. It takes a total of five minutes tops."

"What spell?"

"It's standard procedure for all spies, warriors, most high-ranking politicians, etcetera who have valuable information or indispensable skills who frequently go behind enemy lines. The spell gives them a trail to follow no matter where the subject may be. And for some of the spies they tweak it so that they can kill them from long distances. Of course those spells were cast by the Gifted Elites with my voice and blood keyed into it. It's not like just anyone can kill them."

"What a charming people… Did you have to agree with this?"

"With my knowledge and skills they would have done everything in their power to make it impossible for me to leave without the spell. If I had wanted to I could have left without them knowing it for months… or until someone desperately needed me. But yes, you have to agree."

"Can the spell be broken?"

"Not by a human."

"Wrath, get your stuff packed. We're leaving. Same with you girls."

"What about the Thieves?" Genna smiled sweetly.

"Why Matthew! I had thought you would have guessed by now. You will convince them that you desire nothing more than to leave with us without the Thieves dogging our trail." With that, Genna swept out of the room.

"Will they catch us Matt?" Genna heard Nadine ask.

"Depends on how urgent they think the situation is. I told them that it was likely you would try to take me to Deashithain as soon as possible. They'll move as fast as they can. If you can get past the Thieves now and move as fast as you can… the odds of you getting to Deashithain without a guard of my people is about the same as a snowball not melting in a desert. Our people pride themselves for being able to move faster than any other… And regardless what Genna thinks, you won't be able to pass the Thieves."

Author's note: I've decided that I hate caps lock! Every single time I try to press shift on my lap top I accidentally hit caps lock and don't realise it for half a page. *groan*

So whatchya think??? Do you like Matt? What about the girls???

BTW: I'm Looking For A Beta If Anyone's Interested!


	4. Runner

**MATTHEW**

**Matthew sank into his chair as soon as the door shut behind the girls. He put his head in his hands. What a day. Not only had Genni finally decided to reveal herself, but all four girls knew he was their warder and all were prepared to use the bond to their advantage no matter the cost to him. **

**His little Genni had changed. He had always remembered her as sweet and kind to everyone no matter- well… there was Jack and Genni broke his nose for being an asshole… and Katie. She didn't like Katie at all. And Angelina… OK so maybe she hadn't been a perfect angel… She still seemed different. Was she really going to give him to that witch? The Leoparde? She wouldn't put him back in chains after he had worked so hard for freedom- would she? No. Maybe Anna but not Genna. **

**He sighed. Ah well. If worst came to worst, he had already alerted Cody and his team. And if it got even worse than he had a poison to make it look as if he was dead until he was given the antidote. Ever since he had escaped he had carried the little black bottle with him everywhere. He reached over the desk for his journal absently. His head jerked up. Damn it! She had taken it! That was his private journal! She had no right to take it damn her! But he couldn't get it back yet so he'd have to deal with it. She'd be busy getting the girls ready to go anyway. He could always steal it back. **

**What were they doing over there anyway? He could feel something going on at the other side of the bond. It was like someone was trying to tear down walls that weren't there. What were those girls **_**doing**_**? Wrath got up to go to their rooms when she first entered his mind.**

**GENNA **

"**So, Genna. What's in his journal? You have already looked at it, haven't you? I mean, it's just your pet's things. You can do whatever you want with it's things, right?" Genna looked up from her clothes and bags to stare at Nadine. **

"**Nadine, be quiet. I took it because he was reluctant to talk. That means he has something to hide and if he is the same as he was when I first met him he's a stickler for keeping records." That was true. Matt was the first to give Genna a diary. He said that writing had always made his mother feel better. He was the first man to consider that Genna actually had thoughts of her own without her having to beat it into their head. **

**He had told her to write everything about her life from that moment on. Her feelings, her thoughts, her point of view on the trip to Deashithain, he told her to record everything. So she did and he was right, it made her feel more in control of herself, her thoughts, her feelings. When he saw that she really liked to write in the journal he would stop hours early when it was still light enough to write and would say that he needed to get some food for them to give her some time to finish her latest entry. After a while, he even started to teach her codes. It was when she had first begun to fall in (well, it wasn't as if anyone was listening to her thoughts) love with him- before it was just lust.**

"**So you're just going to look through his stuff, laughing at his thoughts and smirking at his feelings, taunting him about it all on the trip back to Deashithain where you'll hand him over to the Leoparde to be her slave?" Genna scowled. **

"**For the last time! He wouldn't be the Leoparde's slave!" **

"**I believe that you said, 'The Leoparde will want to see if she can bind you. If she can, we'll have our bonds cut and you'll be the Leoparde's personal slave.' You were the first to say he would be hers!"**

**Genna blushed. "I didn't mean it the way it came out Nadine. He just had me so irritated I wanted to scare him a bit. Wrath has always been so sure of himself and seeing him a bit scared made me want to… I don't know… Just prove that I'm the boss I suppose." **

**Nadine scowled. "Weren't you paying attention at all? You can feel his feelings if you just look at it for a bit. He was terrified Genna. He thought you'd actually give him to her to toy with. He was so happy when he realized who you were and then you made him feel like you were betraying him! Don't you realize how scared he was of being handed back to the owner he ran away from? Don't you realize how much he missed you?" Genna blinked. **

"**You mean he really did miss me?" Genna shook her head and frowned at Nadine. "You're lying to make me feel sorry for him. He has always had tons of girls hanging on him. I don't know if you noticed but he makes quite a dashing figure in the right light." Nadine laughed. **

"**What? Are you jealous? Matt is always going to have girls throwing themselves at him. In case you didn't notice, he's gorgeous in any light. But he doesn't have girls hanging on him. Haven't you noticed he doesn't seem to care for girls that way?" **

"**You mean he likes men?" Genna almost fainted. Not Wrath, please not Wrath, not her Wrath. **

"**Uh-uh. Do you remember Taylorson? Remember how Matt practically crushed his wrist when he tried to goose him?" Genna laughed giddily. Thank you Ziese, Withik, and Hiderro for small favors. **

"**You're right. I am jealous. But you said that you could feel his emotions. Show me how." **

"**Well, all you have to do is concentrate on the bond and think of Matt and your feelings about what's going on and pretty soon you'll feel your feelings **_**and **_**Matt's. You try." **

**Genna concentrated on the bond. What was she supposed to do, exactly? Concentrate on the bond. Think about your feelings. That was ok she knew how to do that. But what was she supposed to think about Wrath? Would thinking about him back when they first met be ok? **

**She remembered being surrounded by thieves all stuck on taking the few coins in her bag. Then Wrath came stalking into sight, glaring bright green eyes looking like flecks of fire as he fixed them on the thieves. She remembered how Wrath- Genna blinked. **

**She could feel something going on over on the other side of the bond. Was that really Wrath? She concentrated on him harder trying to bring the fuzzy emotions into focus. **_**'What's going on! What are you doing to me! Who is that? How did you get into my mind! You have no right to enter my mind! GET OUT!' **_

'_**Wrath? Just relax, it's all right. This is incredible!' **_

'_**Genna? What are you doing to me! You have no right to do this to me! I didn't do anything to you! Get out, get out, GET OUT!' **_**She felt Wrath push her away from him but he couldn't make her leave. It was like a child pushing at a grown man. She could hear all of Wraths thoughts; feel every one of his emotions and if she wanted to, she could easily locate any memories that she wanted to find. They were hardly two people anymore. It felt like they had merged together to make one. Almost. Why did Wrath struggle from this? It was so peaceful and so… so right. She sighed and left Wrath's mind.**

**She felt Nadine shaking her shoulder, and practically jumped out of her skin when she started shrieking. **

"**Genna! What are you doing? Stop it! Can't you feel Matt panicking? Stop it!"**

"**I'm stopped, I'm stopped. Now stop yelling. Of course, I could feel Wrath panicking. I could feel every emotion that was going through him. If he had only relaxed, it would have been so peaceful. It felt like it was meant to be." Genna smiled sadly. Why can't he trust me? **

"**Why didn't you stop then?" **

"**I did stop." **

"**You know what I mean Genna." **

"**I know what you mean Nadine. Now stop yelling. We better go see if Wrath's going to live."**

**MATTHEW**

**Matthew stood up trembling all over. At least she was out. She had no right- no right to do that to him. Not even She had… violated him in such a way- She had tried but She couldn't break through those shields. Genna had no right- Wait… Yes she did. He was her Warder- her slave. She could do whatever she wanted and it would be within her rights. **

'**Just relax Andiye… I promise it feels wonderful.' He started laughing and ended up somewhere close to a whimper. Somehow, that didn't make him feel any better. **

**He could still feel her much better than before… Like some part of whatever bond they had just shared still lingered. He could feel her walking toward his room meaning to see if he was all right. He didn't want to talk to her so soon after she had broken into his mind. She shouldn't have been able to do that… All his shields were in place. She must have completely bypassed them. The only way you could get into Matt's mind was if you knew exactly how to enter it and Genna didn't know… Hell, no one but Cat and Cody knew how. He couldn't talk to her so soon after that. So… he ran. **

**IV**

**GENNA **

"**Damn it!" **

"**What?" **

"**He's running." **

"**What do you mean? He's not coming back?" A slight thread of panic slid into Nadine's voice. **

"**No. He'll come back. But he doesn't want to talk to me right now. I can still feel him better than before I felt his emotions. It feels like we developed a stronger bond by acknowledging the old one. I think all of you should do that so we make the bond stronger. **

**That way it can't break in the Council's first test. We will do that later. Let's go look in his room. I think he left us a note." **

**He did. And of course it was in his code. Why did Wrath insist on being so difficult? Wrath had taught her the various different codes that the Thieves used so that if she ever got in trouble she could send for help. She could translate it. And she did. Nadine couldn't read his script and she wouldn't leave Genna alone until she told her what it meant. **

**Genna,**

**-staying with Lady Rogue- -find with bond- -doesn't work ask Thieves- Show Paper As Proof****-**

**Wrath**

**They would have to go get him. They had to leave before the mages came and enslaved **_**them**_**. It would be difficult to fetch him out of there though. Catriann's smart. She won't let him leave if he tells her that we could force him. They'll only let him leave if they have Shanthavan's word. What a nightmare. So much for leaving early tomorrow morning.**


	5. Rogue

_**CATRIANN**_

"_**It's been a while since I've seen Genna, Wrath." Catriann smiled sadly and sighed. She liked Genna and she knew that Wrath adored her. She wished that he could get over the past and marry her. She would have taken care of him and not have let him get into any more misadventures.**_

_**Wrath shrugged. "She's different than she was before. She's not ruthless but she doesn't mind stepping on a few toes." He sunk into silence again, his eyes drifting out of focus, looking at something she couldn't see. He had been that way since he got to the Thieves' Palace. He was thinking about Genna… she could tell. **_

"_**Wrath?" He blinked and looked up at her, his head propped up on a hand and his elbow on the floor. He was lounging on the ground as usual; his back was as close to the fire as he could get without burning his clothes- not that he had to worry about burning himself**_**. He looked like a cat. Usually, they had the fires put out this late in Spring but everyone knew to light the fires in the rooms Wrath would go into unless they wanted to hear about the cold until it got warmer. He did dislike the cold even if he wouldn't admit it all the time.**

"**What do you think about being a Warder?" Wrath smiled timidly as if it was either smile or cry. She had not seen him so out of control since he was a slave. **

"**I'm scared." Catriann blinked. Wrath was never scared… Well, he never showed it. Anxious or frustrated or sometimes even nervous. But never scared. Greday had taught him to conceal his emotions at all times, especially fear. **

**Catriann opened her mouth and closed it promptly. Wrath wasn't done. **

"**I know I must be insane for this but I'm happy too… relieved, you know? I don't know why." He smiled bitterly. Catriann smiled back just as bitterly. **

"**Wrath, you are the best advisor and spy I have seen or even heard of, and that's saying something. But every spy must have someone to tell them who to spy on. Every advisor must have someone to give advice to. You've been nervous because no one will tell you what to do. You were a slave too long and abused too badly to not be a follower." **

**He flinched but she would not spare him the truth. He got enough of that from Shanthavan. The people of Shanthavan were frank and bold but its leaders liked to keep their secrets and encouraged Wrath to do the same. If only they knew how much he kept to himself.**

"**Wrath, if you ask me, I think it's a good thing that Genna's your Shadob. However, I'm worried about the other girls. They are young and they can make you do anything their little hearts desire." Wrath flinched again. **

"**You must face the facts. What are you going to do about them?" **

"**Genni will keep them off my backs and so will Nadia- Nadine… if they don't…" He twirled a dagger that had suddenly appeared in his hands. **

"**They don't need to die to learn the lesson." She threw up her hands. **

"**Yes, of course that'll work! They'll learn to tell you to listen, be silent, and not hurt them so they'll be completely safe!" **

"**What am I supposed to tell you Catriann? What do you want to hear? I have tried to disobey them when they give me a command. It doesn't work. Do you want me to say that they'd never do that? That's what I thought about the first person, and the second, and the third. If they want to hurt me they can and no one can stop them. You cannot have guards on me my whole life.**

"**I will tell you this though. Thorn is too proud. She would never admit she couldn't get a man without a command. I don't think Nina is interested in me. She usually avoids me... and every other man she sees." He frowned. **

"**I think that she might have had a past similar to mine, actually. And Nadi- Nadine has never indicated any interest… She sees me as a brother I think. And I've trusted Genna for years. Genna will have their heads if they do anything." Catriann snorted. If they even looked at him wrong when Genna was watching she'd bite their noses off. The woman had an iron will and was set on snatching up Wrath. Catriann was about to tell him so when the door burst open. **

"**My Lady Rouge! Wrath's girls are here they have their bags and everything! The red haired one – Genna - she said her name was. Anyway she said that she wanted to speak to Catriann (didn't even give my Lady the proper title or nothing)! Do you want me to run them off ma'am?" **

"**Calm down! Of course not. They are guests… Anders, isn't it?" **

"**Yes, your ladyship," he mumbled, bright red with the knowledge that the Lady Rogue herself remembered his name. **

"**Bring them in would you? And if you don't mind can you make sure that they come in unharmed? I will be very… displeased if they are injured or treated roughly in any way." **

"**Yes my lady, of course. Right away your ladyship, ma'am." The guard scuttled out. **

**Wrath began snickering even before the door was closed. "You know your ladyship ma'am? That probably isn't good for you, My Lady Rogue. You should have guards who aren't afraid to speak their minds. You should have-" **

"**Wrath? That's what you're for. Besides… Anders is new. He's from one of my villages far to the south of here. He doesn't know how to act in front of true royalty," Cat drawled in an arrogant tone. **

**He laughed and Cat chuckled. She couldn't help it. Wrath's laughter had always been contagious. The laughter faded as he looked at the wall though. **

"**They're almost here." His eyes looked through the stone and followed his girls. Catriann shivered. She wasn't sure how much she liked him being a Warder.**

**Wrath's eyes slowly swept across the wall then went to the door. There was a hard knock on the sturdy wood door. Catriann cleared her throat. **

"**Come in." The doors opened and in walked Genna and three other girls that Catriann didn't recognize. The girl on Genna's right was short- petite- maybe five feet tall and not a child at all. She was very close to Genna's age... a woman... but something about her made Catriann see her as younger. **

**She had slanted black eyes and dark black hair that, in the right light, probably had blue highlights. She wore the jet-black hair in a tight ponytail at the top of her head that hung to her waist and swayed as she walked. The large gold hoop earrings glittered on both ears and the large bracelets on her wrists clinked as she walked. She seemed almost as foreign as Wrath sometimes did when he was relaxed and not trying to fit in. The girl had an air about her that said she knew that she was stunning and didn't care. She was guessing that this was the kind and sweet Nadine, the runaway princess that hid herself among the ranks of the Migas… and the one that was Wrath's former owner… She looked like she would prefer an afternoon of reading close to the fireplace than a night of dancing at a grand ball.**

**To Genna's left there were two more girls. The first was tall, almost as tall as the average man. She was thin and had high cheekbones and large round bluish-green eyes that made her look innocent and sweet. Honey colored hair went down to her waist in a graceful and complex braid, except for a strand of hair on each side of her face. Her complexion was so milky white that Cat thought she might glow in the dark. She looked like a goddess or at the very least a super-natural queen. The way she carried herself all but screamed noblewoman although she wore no jewelry. Cat was sure that Thorn knew she was beautiful and knew how to twist a man around her finger. She definitely preferred going to special parties and dancing. Definitely, Wrath's gorgeous Thorn.**

**So the last must be Nina. Nina was small and dark with stunning crystal blue eyes. Honey brown hair hung to her mid-back and was brushed until it shined. She seemed timid and shy but she kept shooting Wrath dark looks. She might have been a peasant before becoming a Miga with that sun-darkened skin. **

**Catriann sighed wistfully and eyed the girls in mock-fury. Each of the girls were much prettier than her. Even Genna whom she had known for years got a glare. Genna, of course, ignored the glare. **

**Genna's light brown almond shaped eyes had flecks of gold and green in them and had a way of making you hold your breath until she looked away from you. Her gracefully curly red hair fell just below her shoulders and was held back by two thin braids on each side of her face that she tied at the base of her neck. **

**Genna was not particularly beautiful. Simply pretty, not stunning like the rest of Wrath's girls, but more graceful and charming than all of them put together. Genna would always draw the most attention with her commanding presence and knowing eyes. Her quick temper, sharp wit, and her ever-present humor had a way of making friends quickly. Her warm and caring heart kept her all her newfound friends. The girl had unwavering loyalty for all those under her protection and those that harmed her friends… **

"**Well, long time no see, Cat!" Genna smiled warmly at her and walked quickly down the hall to give her a warm hug. She didn't seem too pleased that Wrath was here, but she did seem genuinely happy to see Catriann. Nina glared at him and Thorn stared at Wrath like a cat watching a trapped mouse. Wrath did his very best to ignore them. Nadine smiled at Wrath, waved, and then turned her attention back to Catriann. **

"**Your majesty, it is an honor to meet you. Matt has told us so much about you." Nadine curtseyed deeply and smiled at her. Nina and Thorn gave her very small curtsies and returned to their study of Wrath. He continued to ignore them and watched Genna, Nadine, and Cat. **

**Cat bowed to Nadine with a hand on her sword hilt (she would not curtsy while wearing pants (she did not wear dresses except to the most formal occasions)). "It is an honor to meet you as well, Miga… Nadine. It is always an honor to have a pr- Miga under our roof… unless, of course, we have to kill her… Sadly it's become a common occurrence in the last few years… Spies you know?" **

**Cat narrowed her eyes- letting Nadine know that she knew what she was and she would not hesitate to roast her on a spit if she hurt Wrath. Nadine took it better than Cat had expected her to. She smiled mournfully but there was a mischievous glint in her eyes. **

"**Alas, some Migas crave knowledge and look for it in the wrong places. But never fear I know how to stay out of trouble." Cat blinked. **

"**Did you just insult me?" **

"**I told you that you'd like her," Wrath drawled. Genna and Nadine giggled. Cat grinned. But nodded at Nadine- letting her know that she understood.**

"**So, when are you and Wrath going to get married, Genn? If you want, we can just tie him up and do the ceremony. It wouldn't be that difficult." Genna giggled and Wrath groaned. "Don't even think it! You are a bad influence on my little Genni, Cat. Shame on you!" **

"**I don't know Wrath. I kind of like the idea." **

"**You see! I told you that you were a bad influence on her!" Cat grinned and Nadine laughed. **

"**Stop being stupid Wrath. You know that if you're going to marry anyone it's going to be my sister. She chatters about you all the time." Wrath shuddered. **

"**Come on Cat. All the girls chatter about Wrath. He's quite pretty even if he is one of the moody, broody types." **

"**I am not moody! Women!" **

"**Men! As long as you say white, they say black. As soon as you give in, they change their minds." Wrath groaned. **

"**I'm going to bed. I'm tired and I've got a headache from you girls jabbering in my ears all day." Wrath gracefully stood up and swaggered out the door. **

**Cat giggled and Genna and Nadine laughed. Nina and Thorn scowled. "What's got your panties in a bunch?" The two girls blinked and glanced at each other. **_**I keep forgetting how touchy these foreigners are. **_

"**My appologies. May I ask what has upset you?" **

"**We're both just a bit…. irritated. Arram told us that he had alerted mages about what was going on and that they would be coming for him. I don't want to end up dead because Arram got scared." Nadine glared at Thorn. **

"**Thorn, you know that Matt wouldn't let them kill us. Besides, you can't blame him for being scared. He works for a country that supported the mages when suddenly four Migas, two of them a lot younger than him, can tell him what to do and he can't disobey. He doesn't even know us that well. Put yourself into his shoes. If you were a gorgeous talented woman who had once been a slave hurt with magic who opposed Deoshithain and suddenly you had four mage Shadobs, you would be terrified." **

**Catriann smiled grimly. There is hope for him after all. "Well, you must be tired as well. I'll have one of my men show you your rooms." **


End file.
